iPhone 7 Plus Using A Lot Of Data? Here's Why & The Fix!

David Lynch

AUGUST 4, 2017

Your iPhone 7 Plus is using too much data and you're not sure why. Not all apps are made equal and some of them will use significant more data than others. In this article, I'll show you how to save on your data plan, look for troublesome apps, and answer the question: why is my iPhone 7 Plus using a lot of data?

How Do I Know If My iPhone 7 Plus Is Even Using Data?

To check if your iPhone 7 Plus is using data, open up the Settings app, then tap Cellular. Look at the switch at the top of the screen next to Cellular Data.

If the switch is gray and shifted to the left, then your iPhone is not using data. If the switch is green and shifted to the right, then your iPhone is using data.

As you can see in the picture above, I have turned on Cellular Data on my iPhone. However, my iPhone is also connected to Wi-Fi. When your iPhone 7 Plus is connected to Wi-Fi, your iPhone won't use data from your cellular plan.

This leads us into our first tip for when your iPhone 7 Plus is using a lot of data — connect to Wi-Fi whenever its available.

How To Fix An iPhone 7 Plus Using A Lot Of Data

5 Steps Total

1.

Use Wi-Fi Whenever Possible

When you're connected to Wi-Fi, your iPhone won't use data. Therefore, make sure you connect to Wi-Fi whenever it's available!

Open the Settings app.

Tap Wi-Fi.

Make sure the switch next to Wi-Fi is turned on.

If you're in a new area, connect to a nearby network by tapping on it under Choose A Network...

Close Out Of Apps You Aren't Using

When you don't close out of your apps, they stay loaded in the background so they'll be ready to go as soon as you open them back up. Problems really begin when one of those apps you have open in the background crashes, which can make your iPhone battery drain fast and possibly cause other apps to malfunction as well.

Apps left on in the background of your iPhone can also still send and receive data, which may slowly drain the amount of data your iPhone can use.

How Can I Check If One Of My Apps Has Crashed?

If you're ever wondering if an app is crashing on your iPhone, you can look for confirmation in the Settings app. Tap Privacy -> Analytics -> Analytics Data and check to see if any apps underneath LatestCrash. If there are any apps listed here, then there may be a problem with those apps which is making them crash.

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How Do I Close Out Of Apps You Aren't Using?

Double-press the Home button to activate the App Switcher on your iPhone, which will display all the apps you currently have open.

Using your finger, swipe up on the apps you want to close out of.

You'll know the app has been closed when it's no longer displayed in the App Switcher.

Avoid Streaming Music And Videos Using Data

Streaming music and videos using apps such as Spotify, YouTube, or Netflix can be the biggest drains on your iPhone's data. If you want to seriously cut back on how much data you use on your iPhone, only stream music and videos when you're connected to Wi-Fi.

Let's say you stream a lot of videos or music using the Safari app. You can turn off the ability to use Safari with data in the Settings app.

Open Settings.

Tap Cellular.

Make sure the switch next to Cellular Data is on.

Scroll down and turn off the switch next to Safari. You'll know it's off when the switch is gray and positioned to the left.

Tada! More Data!

You've diagnosed why your iPhone 7 Plus is using too much data and you've taken steps to prevent it from happening again. We hope you'll share this article on social media with your friends and followers who ask, "Why is my iPhone 7 Plus using a lot of data?" Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment down below!